Igniting Fires
by Blushing.white.rose
Summary: Liz decides to return to the Bureau, as Hellboy continues to be smitten with her. Will his feelings be returned?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own these amazing characters or the generic plot/theme. But I do own my imagination!

Igniting Fires

The night was calm other than the occasional siren screaming in the distance. Leaves fell, and the air was chilled with the oncoming winter. Hellboy and Liz sat on a bench in the Bellamie Hospital courtyard. Although it wasn't on his agenda, HB knew he couldn't pass up this opportunity to see her. "We miss you at the Bureau. Abe's crazier everyday, Father's still mad at me," he turned to look at her. "Come back, Liz, Come back." She shook her head.

"No, no HB. I don't like it here. But I haven't had an episode in months. And you know what?" she held out her hand. HB just watched silently. A small blue flame ignited. "I'm learning to control it. I'm learning where it comes from." He could see the blue light illuminating her face. "For the first time in my life, I'm not afraid," she confessed, quickly eliminating the fire, and turning to look at him. She could see the dejectedness written in his features, the pain in his eyes. "But…maybe if Professor Broom wants me back…I might come back," she said, surprised by her own words. The way he was looking at her touched her heart in a way that nothing ever had. She watched as his face quickly lifted, a smile taking over.

"You bet he wants ya back, we all do…especially me," HB responded, his face becoming sincere as he spoke these last words. A sound was heard as a car pulled up.

"Looks like your ride is here," Liz said, pulling her sweater tighter around her.

"The nanny squad," HB grumbled. When he saw his father exiting the vehicle, however, his spirits lifted again. He stood. "Hey Father, Liz wants to…", Liz covered his mouth with her hand.

"Not now. Wait until you're alone with him before you ask him. But not now," she said, slowly removing her hand. He looked down at her, confusion quickly turning to understanding. Liz began to walk away, as Myers approached.

"Yea, I'll talk to you later," HB said, looking longingly after her. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm, and with a grimace, he doubled over.

"Hey Red, you've lost a lot of blood," Myers said, coming to his side, quickly trying to help him. Liz heard the commotion, and, turning around, saw that HB was down. Rushing back to his side, she took hold of the arm that Myers hadn't.

"Oh Red," she sympathized, tightening her grip on him.

"Just part of the job description," he said, allowing them to help lift him to his feet. When he was standing, Liz took his arm and lifted it around her shoulders, to help support him. Myers did the same.

Noticing Liz for the first time, he said, "I'm John Myers." Liz looked at him.

"I'm Liz.".

" Look do you have to do this now? I'm kind of on the verge of death," HB said, annoyed with Myers.

"Right," Myers said, as they led him to the garbage truck that he was to ride in. When he was safely in, Liz started to go back.

"Liz," HB said, grabbing onto her sleeve from the truck. "Come with me."

"I think you should," Myers interposed, seeing the look in Hellboy's eyes. Liz was silent for a moment, trying to decide what to do.

Seeing Professor Broom nodding, she said, "Okay."

Please read and review. Be honest! I hope you enjoyed. More will come soon, and probably longer chapters, maybe ;)


	2. Chapter 2

"Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays. Clutch it, and it darts away." -Dorothy Parker

As they rode along in the truck, Liz sat gently stroking Hellboy's arm as he leaned back with his eyes closed. "We'll be there soon," she said, trying to console him.

"I'm not worried about it," he said, opening his eyes to look at her for a minute. She didn't say anything; there wasn't anything to say.

It wasn't long before they arrived, and HB was taken to the injury room, and put on the operating table, adjusted forward into a chair. "You were burned by some organic acid," Abe said, examining his injury.

"Yea, I'm lucky that way," HB responded. Liz stood off to the side, gloominess in her face. Myers put the thing that had latched onto HB down, turning his attention to Liz.

"I've heard a lot about you," he said, remembering having read up on her file, as well as HB's continuous references to her. Liz looked over at Hellboy.

"Guess so. I try to stay under the radar though." She turned back to Myers. "So you're new here?"

"I think you could say that," he said, smiling at her. HB had been watching them, and didn't like what he was seeing.

"Hey Liz, think you could get me some water or something?" he asked, trying to get her away from Myers.

"Sure," she said, giving Myers a small smile, before turning and walking out. HB also saw this small exchange, and angrily smashed his uninjured hand against the chair.

"Damn! Could you be a little more careful?," he said to Abe who was extracting something from his arm. Abe nodded.

"Is she planning to stay?" Myers asked, walking over to them.

"She says she might. Why? What's it to you?" HB asked, staring accusingly at him. Myers was a bit taken aback.

"Nothing. I was just wondering since she's been here before if maybe she was coming back". Myers walked out, leaving HB and Abe alone.

"You know you can't blame him for being curious. And Liz doesn't belong to you, or anyone else," Abe said, realizing what this was all about. HB huffed, knowing there was no arguing with Abe. On her way back to the room, Liz was stopped by Professor Broom.

"Elizabeth, I was hoping you might consider returning to the Bureau. It's completely your decision, but we do miss you here," he said, gently patting her arm. Liz smiled, having heard the same testimony earlier. She started to nod.

"I think I might. Could you give this to Red?" she said, handing him the water. He nodded. Walking back down the hallway, she knew what she had to do.

HB was disappointed when it was his father who brought him the water. "Where's Liz?", he asked, drinking some of the liquid.

"Sorting some things out. She'll be along. You shouldn't rush her, you know, or she might change her mind," the professor said. HB knew he was right.

"You want her back, don't you?", HB asked.

"Of coarse I do. I even told her so a few minutes ago. But Liz will come back when she's ready. And whether that's now or not is up to her," the professor paused. "I once knew a young girl, very sweet and kind. One day when she was outside playing she found this injured canary, and brought it to her home to take care of it. After a few weeks, it was ready to go. Even though the girl loved the canary dearly, she knew she had to let it go. So, she did. It flew and flew, but that same day, it returned to her. She tried to make it leave, telling the bird to enjoy its freedom. But it wouldn't leave her. That's when she realized that because she had given it that choice, that's why it wanted to stay. If she had clutched and seized it, it would have flown away, never to return."

HB listened, beginning to understand, yet almost not wanting to. He had never tried to force her to stay, or anything like that. He only wanted her to be happy…with him.

After discussing HB's injury with the professor, Abe said it was time for him to turn in. On the way to his own room, HB walked past Liz's old room, it being empty and deserted. He sighed, wishing more than anything that she would come back for good.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Hellboy stood lifting weights, the TV's turned to a silly cartoon. The place was quiet other than that. About midmorning he heard a slight commotion in the hall. Walking out to see what it was, he was surprised to see Liz with her baggage, standing next to Myers. The Professor was saying something. "Liz? Liz!" HB said happily, walking over to them.

"Yes, Hellboy, Liz has decided to give it another try here. Now why don't you help her with her luggage?" Professor Broom said, motioning to the suitcase in her hand. She started to protest, but HB quickly took the suitcase from her. He began walking towards her room, and she followed.

"Hey Liz…I'm glad you're back," HB said once they came to her room. She looked at him for a minute, a mixture of gratitude and placidness in her eyes.

"We'll see about this, HB. Thank you." A long moment passed, neither quite sure what to do. Then, in a slow and calm movement, Liz moved forward slightly, taking his normal hand in hers. Giving it a soft squeeze, she let go after a moment, feeling his resistance to releasing her hand from his. Turning, she walked into her room, closing the door behind her. Hellboy was surprised by even this small gesture, not quite sure what it meant. He had always been pretty blatant with his feelings for her, never really understanding what subtleness was.

A few hours later a knock came to Liz's door. Expecting to find Hellboy or the Professor, she was surprised to find it was Myers. "Hi," she said, opening the door more so that she could see him.

"Hi. I just wanted to know if you needed anything…if you're comfortable and everything," Myers said, growing nervous under her gaze.

"No, I'm fine. But thanks,", she said, beginning to close the door again.

"Do you want to go out for a cup of coffee later? Or something," he said quickly. She opened the door to look at him once more.

"Maybe. I'll think about it," she answered, closing the door when she was sure that he was done. A little later she walked down the hall toward HB's room. Knocking lightly at first, she received no answer, and walked in. The room was empty except for the cats. She was surprised by the number of them now compared to when she had been there a few months before. Picking one up, she kissed it, and scratched it behind the ears. Seeing that no one was around, she sat on HB's bed, gently playing with the kittens that gathered near. There were multiple pieces of paper laying around, all with her name on them. She picked one up, and started to read.

"Liz?" she heard her name called. Startled, she dropped the paper, a gasp escaping her lips. She looked at Hellboy, who was standing in the doorway. "Didn't mean to startle ya," he walked in. He had seen the paper she was looking at, and quickly picked it up and crumpled it. "Just trash," he said, kicking some of the pieces that were on the floor to the side. He was clearly flustered.

"Someone had babies, lots of them," Liz said, looking around at all the cats. Hellboy nodded. Standing up, she moved away from his bed. "I…I've missed this place," she said quietly, hardly more than a whisper. HB was about to say something when there was a light tap on the door. Myers poked his head in, before walking on in, not realizing he was intruding on a private moment.

"Are you almost ready to go?" he asked Liz, nodding a hello to Hellboy.

"Go? Go where?" Hellboy asked, completely surprised.

"Just out for some coffee. We'll be back in a little while," Liz explained, seeing the puzzlement on his face.

"You're…you're going with him?" HB asked, still shocked by what was happening. Liz nodded, praying he wouldn't have a fit. HB looked at Myers, not bothering to hide the distasteful look on his face.

"Would you like us to get you something?" Myers asked, trying to smooth over the awkward moment. HB gave an angry huff.

"Wouldn't like _you_ to get me anything," he said, turning to sit on his bed.

"See you later," Liz said, trying to give him a small smile as she walked out.

"Goodnight," Myers said, a bit perturbed with HB's behavior.

Glaring at him, Hellboy responded, "goodbye."

As they walked out of the small coffee shop at the corner of an empty street, Myers handed Liz the cookie she bought, while he inhaled his warm coffee. "Hellboy…he's determined, he's unstoppable," Myers commented, as they stood a moment.

"Some people would call that cocky," Liz replied.

"He's just strong," Myers said, surprised that he was complementing the large force even after what had previously transpired. "My, my uncle, he used to say that he liked people for their qualities, but loved them for their defects. He loves you, you know." Liz looked at him, nodding slightly. "And what about you?" Myers asked.

"I don't know. I grew up with him. But when I'm with him, I get confused. He knows me so well…and I like that. He's always on my mind, even now," she explained, not fully comfortable with sharing her feelings with someone she barely knew. On the roofs of the nearby apartments, Hellboy leapt from one to another, keeping them in his sight. He saw their seemingly personal conversation, and wanted desperately to know what it was about.

They started walking again, and he went back to his monstrous leaps in between buildings. When they stopped at a park bench, HB stopped as well, glad for a rest. A young boy happened to be on the same roof. Keeping his eye on the two, he made small talk with the boy. The boy seemed to have a very simple answer to his ordeal, but he couldn't believe that would work.

After a while Liz and Myers got up and started to walk back. HB got back to running then jumping, until he came to a certain gap in between buildings that was especially wide. When he was almost to the other side, gravity took its toll and pulled him down. "Aw crap,' he managed to mumble. Landing loudly on a Chevy Oldsmobile, he cursed the fall and gravity itself. As he was trying to get up, people inside the buildings began to venture out, curious about the disturbance. Seeing a crowd gathering, Liz and Myers walked over.

"It's Hellboy," gasps circulated through the street. Someone snapped a picture. Seeing Myers and Liz, HB overtly began walking in the opposite direction.

"Nothing to see here folks," Myers said, trying to disperse the crowd. Liz ran to catch up with the oversized monkey.

"What are you doing here? You should be back at the BPRD, not smashing cars," Liz scolded him, though something inside her told her the real reason. He didn't look at her.

"Why's it matter to you? You got your company with Myers, since apparently I'm not good enough," HB accused, anger clear in his voice. Hurt rushed through her veins, but she wouldn't let that subdue her.

"So you were spying on me? I thought you were better than this, HB," she said, her words cutting like a knife into his heart. He stopped, and turned to look at her icy glare. He returned it with a heated one. Myers caught up, just in time to witness them part ways, each going in the opposite direction. Liz walked slow and defeated, while HB trudged along, wanting to be anywhere but near her at the moment. Myers simply stood there, not sure who to follow. He waited til they were both out of sight before he headed back in the direction of the BPRD.

Note: I will be out of town until Monday August 4. So no new chapters will be posted until then. But they will be posted! Do not give up or despair! The night is often darkest just before the dawn. But I promise you, there will be a dawn (sorry, I couldn't resist!).


	4. Chapter 4

As he walked along, Hellboy's face changed from angry frustration to undoing sadness. He didn't want to be angry with her, and more than that, he didn't want her to be angry with him. He remembered clearly the look on her face when he had glanced at her after he had said he wasn't good enough. Deep agony, followed by shallow anger. She wouldn't stay mad long, but the hurt was irreversible. He didn't know what it would take to regain what they had just lost.

At the same time, Liz walked wearily back to the Bureau. To think she may have hurt him was more than she could bear. Sadness overwhelmed her, as she thought back to a familiar phrase, "you always hurt the ones you love." Did she love him? At the moment it was too hard to tell. At the moment all she wanted was to go back and prevent this from happening in the first place.

The next morning was especially quiet at the BPRD. Both Liz and Hellboy took special pains to avoid one another, until each could figure out what to say to try to alleviate the present uncomfortable ness of their friendship.

"I don't know what to do," Liz said to Abe as he looked at her from his aquarium.

"Then take some more time to think about it. I'm not a good problem solver, three decades and I've only finished two sides," he said, holding up the Rubik's cube. "Maybe you ought to just tell him exactly how you feel, and then hope for the best."

Liz was silent for a moment, pondering this. She slowly nodded. "You're probably right." Then, just as she was about to tell him goodbye, Hellboy walked in. Seeing that she had beat him to it, he stopped. Liz quickly walked past him, as HB tried to say something, but was lost for words. When she was gone, he walked over to Abe.

"Can you believe that? I've never seen her like this," Hellboy said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I think she has a good reason to be. What were you thinking, following them out there like that? She's not a little girl, and as I said before, she doesn't belong to you," Abe said, his voice without any accusations, yet this was what made HB even more unable to respond. He sighed heavily.

"I just wish, I wish it could be different, you know? Maybe if I was more…" he searched for the word.

"Human?" Abe finished for him. HB said nothing, his face revealing the answer. "Liz doesn't care that you're not human. You should know that by now. But Liz doesn't know what she wants right now, she only came back yesterday. So, I suggest you give her some time to think, then act on what you feel," Abe finished, letting the cube slowly sink to the bottom of the tank. Hellboy sat a while, simply thinking about how to go about it.

Meanwhile, Myers gently knocked on Liz's door. When she saw it was him, a look of dismay crossed her face. "How are you doing?" he asked, seeing the deepened bags under her eyes.

"I don't know. And I don't really want to talk about it," she said. Down the hall, as HB was headed back to his room, he saw them talking, her door open, but not completely. At that same moment, she noticed him, and they looked at each other. He kept walking, and she didn't say anything. As he walked on by she looked down, darkness clouding her features. Without another word she closed her door, not bothering to say goodbye the Myers.

"I would have expected this from Hellboy, but not from Elizabeth," Professor Broom said, after Myers had informed him of the situation.

"What do you mean?" Myers asked.

"Well, normally she would probably just ignore the conflict, pretend it never happened. And Hellboy would catch on, and things would be back to normal soon enough. But in those days their bickering was about him not cleaning up after his cats, or maybe he was trying to get her attention and she didn't like it. They've never had a dispute quite this serious," he said, picking up a book and searching through the pages.

"Well ,what should I do?" Myers asked, wishing the whole thing would be done with. The professor sighed.

"There's nothing you can do. They're big kids, they can handle it on their own. But I must warn you, if you try to fix it yourself then you'll probably end up suffering the wrath of a pyro kinetic she devil and an angry as the dickens Hellboy."


	5. Chapter 5

Early the next morning Liz awoke and found a note slipped under her door. There, in sloppy, oversized handwriting, was

**I'm sorry**

**HB**

Silently, Liz made her way down the hall. When she reached Hellboy's room she gave a few soft knocks. "Who is it?" the low voice called from inside.

"It's Liz," she managed to choke out, before hearing his footsteps approaching the door. It opened, and she saw him walk back towards his bed. She came in, closing the door behind her. HB stood, on the far side of the room, as if waiting for her to speak.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "I got your note." He nodded once, then, walking a little closer to her, stopped.

"I never meant to make you upset. I guess I just get a little…over protective sometimes," he explained, his voice softer than usual. Liz found it strangely endearing, it wasn't often that he spoke to her in such a way.

Looking into his eyes, she began, "What you said…about not being good enough…it's not true. Myers and I, we're friends. And only friends. You and I…we've known each other for a long time." She didn't know how else to phrase it. HB smiled a little at this, knowing how true it was. "And, I'm sorry for anything I did that may have hurt your feelings, for what I said. I think making you feel bad hurts me more than it does you. I'm not happy when you're unhappy…I'm still trying to figure out who I am, HB. And right now…I just don't know," she said, portraying what she meant with her eyes as well as her voice. There was a spark of relief in her eyes, relief that had been lost, but now was found. There was something else there too, affection? Fondness? Hellboy wasn't sure. But all the same it triggered his emotions, seeing her truly opening up to him on such a deep level.

Hellboy stared at her, so much devotion in his eyes. Then, he remembered something the boy had said to him. "Just go over there and tell her how you feel" he had said.

"Uh, I gotta say something to you, before you go. I just, I want ya to know that…" he was interrupted by a loud alarm. Hellboy snarled at the interruption. "I gotta go," he said.

"I'll go too," Liz said, stepping forward. He looked at her for a moment, their eyes meeting briefly. Myers rushed in at that moment.

"We got a situation," he said, motioning for them to follow him.

Trudging along through a slimy swamp in Fairfield, Abe, Hellboy, Liz, Myers, and a few other agents looked for signs of the newly wanted creature. "It's called Yafaran. Resembles a lion in some ways, can breathe in and out of water. Has the ability to thrust dart-like objects at its enemies. Apparently these objects are made by some mechanism inside the Yafaran, coming from one of its paws," Abe said, looking at his field guide of paranormal beings.

"Great. A cat with missiles that can live under water. Sounds kinda like you, Abe," Hellboy said, making his way through the murky water.

"Not quite. This thing killed approximately fifteen people who were on a kayak trip in a river nearby," Abe responded, using his hands to synthesize the environment.

"I was being sarcastic." Liz was wading nearby, looking for the tell-tale signs of fresh slash marks on the trees.

"Hey Abe, I think I might of found something," Liz called, from behind a large Red Maple. The group gathered around, to find two great slashes on the tree. Abe touched it, completely silent for a minute. HB stood next to Liz, his tail gently brushing against her ankles. She glanced over at him, but he was focused on Abe.

"Red, we're not alone. On that tree, up in the branches," Abe pointed to a tree a few feet away. Sure enough, up in the dense branches, a long hairy tail hung down.

Thank you for all the great feedback! This story is such a labor of love for me, I hate to think about the day when I shall have to end it. Or…could it be like the never-ending story? ;)


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright hairy, it's you and me," HB said, pulling his gun out. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, the huge feline pounced to the ground, landing on HB. The two wrestled for a few minutes, Hellboy smashing it into trees and Yafaran injecting him with his darts. After a while the creature gained the advantage, HB on the ground with it on top of him. Suddenly, Yafaran sprung into the air away from HB, a flame on his side. Rolling, he quickly doused it, looking for the source. Liz was there about to flame up again. In the blink of an eye he used his massive leg to thrust her backward into the air, her body kitting a tree with a sickening thud. She wasn't moving. Hellboy was enraged.

"Alright that's it. You've gone too far!" he yelled, grabbing it by the head and banging it violently against the trunk of a tree. He then swung the creature around until he let go, sending it flying through the air only to hit a tree. When Yafaran started to run away, he shot after it with his gun. Convinced that the thing was gone, HB quickly turned his attention to Liz, who Abe was feeding a concoction to. He had to lift her head up so it would go down.

"We need to get her back to the BPRD," he said, just before Hellboy scooped her limp body up in his arms.

Liz awoke on a couch that was in the injury room. Everything was quiet, and no one was in sight. Standing, she made her way down the stairs, the blanket that had been wrapped around her still on her. Before she even reached the library, she knew something was wrong. She could see many people around, their faces solemn. Some detectives and forensic scientists could be seen, investigating something. When she was almost to the commotion she was stopped by a hand grabbing her arm.

"You don't want to go over there," Myers said, sadness in his eyes. Jerking away, she pushed her way through the crowd. What she came upon was startling. Ash and burnt objects stood where the library had been. Shocked, she could see HB kneeling among the ashes, a rosary in his hand.

"Liz, there's been a catastrophe about. There was a fire, and…Professor Broom is dead," Abe said, deep sadness in his big marine eyes. Liz panicked for a minute, thinking she may have been the cause. Then she remembered where she had been. In the swamp.

"No, no," she said, tears gathering in her eyes. Abe put an arm around her, trying his best to be comforting. Hearing her voice, Hellboy looked up, such loss on his face. Their eyes stayed locked on each other for the longest time, each knowing the pain the other was feeling. Finally, Liz broke it, running back through the group to a solemn place, her blanket falling to the ground.

A few days passed since the horrible event. It was gathered that the fire had not been an accident, but that it had been on purpose. This fact only deepened HB's sadness, knowing he could have been there to stop it. He wouldn't eat, sleep, or talk to anyone. Not even Liz.

Liz found him laying on his bed one day, gently fondling the rosary that had been found among the ashes. "May I sit?" she asked quietly, standing by his bed. He nodded. She sat on the side of his bed, turning to face him. A long silence ensued, until Liz took a deep breath. "I could have been here…to stop it." Hellboy shook his head, bringing his hand to rest at his side.

"It wouldn't have mattered if you were here. You start fires, not the other way around," he said, his voice deep with graveness.

"Well I would have tried, Red. You know I would have," she said, her voice cracking. Sensing her guilt, HB sat up, and tenderly wrapped his arms around her, her head coming to rest against his neck.

"Shh. It's not your fault. You know that," he comforted, softly stroking her hair. He could smell her, that mild, beautiful scent that only she had. He tried to remember the last time he had smelled it, the last time they had been this close.

"I'm so sorry, Red," she whispered, holding his arms firmly around her. He could feel her hot tears against his skin, and as much as his father's death saddened him, her tears made him want to take her pain away even more.


	7. Chapter 7

"You are going to Norway, right?" Myers asked Hellboy as they stood around a table covered with maps of the country.

"Yea, I'm going. You think I'd let ya'll go there alone?" he asked.

"Alright. We'll have to be much more careful this time, since Yafaran is now inhabiting the Klarälven River, which is no simple swamp," Abe said, looking around at the faces listening. Liz stared at the map.

"So I guess it'll be pretty cold up there?", she asked, shivering slightly. Abe nodded.

"Very cold."

After they talked about the plan some more, each went off to gather the things they would need for their journey. Including heavy clothing for the frosty climate. Liz finished quickly, and headed to Abe's aquarium. On her way, she noticed the door to Hellboy's room wide open. Looking in, he found him sitting on his bed, seemingly staring into space. "Hi," her quiet voice sounded. He looked up.

"Hi." He looked back down, as she tried to read what he was thinking through his eyes.

"You haven't packed very much," she said, noticing his loose pile of things to take to Norway. He shrugged.

"Don't think I need much, besides the right guns and equipment." Liz nodded. She started to turn around to walk out, then stopped.

"That night, right before the alarm went off, you said you had something to tell me," she said, coming closer. He knew what she meant. HB was silent for a moment, then sighed.

"You know, all this time I've been after ya, trying to get you to like me in that…special way. I wanted to be with ya. But now…I think I know why you always turned away," he said, standing to face her.

"Red, it's not…", she started.

"No, no, let me finish. Maybe it's got something to do with the fact that…I'm not someone that could make you feel…normal. Like, maybe, Myers could. Maybe it's the fact that you're human, and I'm…not. But, whatever it is, I just want ya to know…I'll always be here, for you," he finished, his yellow eyes penetrating deep into hers. So much feeling was evident in them, yet a strength that said he could take whatever rejection she may hand him. Liz was silent for a long moment, too taken aback for words, no words being able to express what she felt at that moment.

"I'm glad," she said softly, and slowly turned and walked to the door. HB looked down, wishing for some form of reciprocated kindness, yet content with just knowing that she knew how he felt. "Red…you mean a lot to me…a lot more than you think you do," her voice was heard from the doorway. Looking up, he caught her glance just in time to see her lips curve into a smile.

--

"Now you listen to me, the minute we get off this plane, I am in charge!," Manning said to HB, his tone as quarrelsome as ever. HB on a large crate smoking a cigar in the room where the maps were laid out. Although they had already looked at them, Abe wanted to be sure that everyone knew what to do and where to go in case of emergency.

"The trick is to shoot em close to the heart with this baby," Manning help up a huge firearm. "It paralyzes, then kills. So the sooner it gets to the heart and brain, the better."

"Do you want sugar in your coffee?" Myers asked Liz as he handed her a cup.

"She likes it black, moron," Hellboy's voice answered from across the room. Myers gave him a look, which HB completely ignored.

"No thanks, Myers," Liz said, taking it from him.

"I must warn you, Yafaran may not be alone. There may be others of his kind out there," Abe said, looking through a Norway photograph book. "Which is all the more reason to be careful…for all of us. One wrong move and they could drag you under the water," he finished, looking at HB.

"I almost got him once, I'll really give it to him this time. Only he won't get away, him or his little friends," HB replied, tossing the cigar into a trash can.

"And lets try not having anyone getting hurt this time, hmm?," Manning asked, giving Liz a look.

"Hey, it wasn't her fault, she was trying to save Hellboy," Myers defended her.

"Just don't," Liz said quietly, before getting up and walking into another compartment.

"Just saying, she should have been more careful. She knows the risks," Manning defended himself, checking the gauge on his gun.

"Give it a rest, will ya?" HB said, tilting his head back for a nap. By the time the plane landed, HB was in no greater mood than he had been before. He wasn't looking forward to having to do combat with this creature, especially if there were more. He and Liz hadn't had any more heart to hearts, and frankly they hadn't talked very much since the last time he had revealed his feelings.

As they rode along in a truck, with HB sitting inside a crate in the back, Myers made sure the locators were working. "Hey Big Red, this is little Rex, do you copy?". Hellboy snickered.

"Little Rex, huh. What's Liz's name?"

"Sparky," Myers answered. HB raised his eyebrows.

"Sparky. Sparky?" he asked in disbelief, shaking his head.

They finally came to the secluded area on the banks of the Klarälven River, and HB was told to come out.

"Alright. Everyone sync your locator belts. You see anything, let us know. And don't get too far apart, these things are dangerous," Manning said to the group. Just as they were about to move out, HB felt someone grab his arm.

"Be careful," Liz said, looking up into his eyes. A level of vulnerability lay there that he hadn't seen before. He nodded.

"You too. Stay close to Myers, don't get too far away." Liz nodded silently, resisting the urge to say that she would rather stay close to him.

The company moved out, searching for signs along the riverbed. Red stayed in the front, along with Abe, Liz, and Myers. It was dead winter in Norway, and the air was a freezing temperature. That was one of the reasons being so close to the water was dangerous. Hypothermia as well as drowning were two big dangers.

"Red, we're not alone," Abe suddenly said, looking towards the deep water.

Do do do do do do do do (twilight zone)


	8. Chapter 8

This chapter goes out to all of you who have lost their muses (ahem, Britt). Don't give up! And to Auvrey, Beth, Miserlou, and everyone else who has been reading this story. Thanks guys!

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Suddenly, the creature burst forth from the water, causing the group to jump back. It began running towards the woods.

"Not again," Hellboy mumbled as he took off after the thing, gun in hand. The others followed, Liz running the fastest. The scene before them was similar to that in the swamp, a violent wrestling match between HB and Yafaran. Finally Hellboy was able to grab the gun and aim it at the vile creature. At that moment another one appeared, and was closing in on Liz as she started to ignite flame. Just as it was about to attack her Hellboy jumped on top of it, having it in a death grip.

Spiraling and spinning, the Yafaran was able to rid itself of HB, before dragging him by the foot back through the forest towards the water. "Its going to drown him!" Liz screamed as she caught fire to another one of the creatures that had sprung up. Sure that Liz had killed the thing, the others quickly raced towards the river.

There, in the deep water, HB was struggling to keep his head above the water. Myers found the gun he had dropped, and proceeded to aim. "You can't do that, you might shoot Red!" Liz argued, lowering the gun, her eyes fiery with anger.

"Then what can I do? That thing is gonna drown him!" Myers exclaimed, trying to think of something. Just then, the sound of rough splashing stopped. Both HB and Yafaran were under the water. Panicked, Abe quickly rushed into the water. Submerged, no one on the river bank knew what was happening under there. A few painful minutes passed, when suddenly the creature jumped from the water.

In rage, Liz ran in its direction. "Come on! Kill me you horrible monster!" she shouted, standing right so it could see her. Delighted, it quickly sprang forth.

"Liz!" Myers yelled, shocked at why she would do such a thing. He quickly found out. Suddenly, from under the creature a great fire lit, where Liz was. Its body completely consumed in flames, the creature screamed and shrieked until it finally fell down onto the ground. Never to move again.

Turning back, Liz saw that Abe and some of the other agents were desperately trying to pull a limp Hellboy out of the water. She rampaged through the icy water to where they were, aiding in bringing him to shore. When they were finally on solid ground they laid him down, not a sound or movement coming from him.

"He's not breathing. And he's got no pulse," Abe said, his big aqua eyes tragic.

"I know CPR," Myers came forth, kneeling down in preparation. He felt a demanding push on his shoulder. It was Liz.

"So do I." Seeing the despairing yet determined look on her face, he moved aside. She quickly brought herself close to HB, kneeling down right by his head. Her own body shaking from the cold, she brought her face to his. There had been times when she imagined what it would be like to feel his mouth against hers for the first time, if ever, but never had she imagined this. Opening his mouth, she placed hers over his, struggling to completely cover the opening. Then, she breathed into him, followed by placing her head on his chest, listening for a heartbeat. After a few failed attempts, she let out a hopeless whimper, as tears started to run down her cheeks.

"Red, please. I need you. Come back you big monkey. Come back to me," she cried, quickly continuing her efforts to revive him. The others watched in utter silence, each heavyhearted by what seemed to be happening.

Suddenly, as her head was against his chest, she felt a quivering movement, followed by a soft gasp. Jerking her head up, she watched as his eyes slowly fluttered open. Since she was kneeling over him, her face was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. "Liz…" he started.

"Shh shh. Don't try to talk," she soothed, lovingly stroking his face with her hand. He saw her tears, and suddenly remembered.

"A coat, I need a coat," Liz said, feeling his frigid skin. Manning volunteered his, it was not wet. Hastily Liz spread it over HB's chest, forgetting all about her own safety.

"Liz…I, I heard you. You said for me to come back, that…you needed me," he said, looking at her to see if he was right. She quickly nodded, and with a relieved sob laid her head against his chest, as his arms went around her to hold her close.

After a moment Myers reminded them that hypothermia could set in if they didn't get somewhere warm soon. With Liz's help, HB stood, and they headed back to where the trucks had been. Surprisingly, the plane was already there. Manning had sent a message requesting immediate transportation. Once they were in, multiple blankets were placed on HB, as well as Liz who was now shuddering from the cold.

Seated on the floor of the plane, Liz and Hellboy sat side by side, their bodies leaning against one another. "So ya really meant it? That you need me," HB asked, his voice quiet so as not to reveal their conversation.

Turning to look at him, Liz's countenance was serious. "I meant it. I've never come that close to losing you before. And I don't want that to happen again. Maybe I haven't always been upfront about…how I feel" she looked down for a moment, fidgeting with her hands slightly. Hellboy knew this was a little awkward for her, and he waited patiently.

Then, she turned back to him, her eyes meeting his. "But, you saved me, HB. And maybe I want to try being more open, from now on" she said, complete sincerity in her voice. Turning his body so that he was facing her more fully, HB just watched her for a minute, entranced by the way that she was looking at him.

"That sounds good to me," his voice rumbled. Then, slowly, his head began to move towards hers in the subtlest way, and she did likewise. Their lips touched, the gentle kiss quickly turning into an intense one as they opened up to one another, tongues meeting for the first time. A flame began, and soon both their bodies were embraced by it as the kiss grew.

Feedback is greatly appreciated. When I post a chapter and all I hear is the crickets chirping I feel like I'm not keeping your interest. chirp chirp.


	9. Chapter 9

Aware of their surroundings, Liz broke the kiss before anything else besides their bodies caught fire. Their faces stayed close, she could feel his breath on her lips. The kiss had warmed them both, as well as the flames that had sparked as a product of it. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she saw Manning watching them, holding something large. Breaking her heated gaze with Hellboy, she saw that it was a fire extinguisher.

"In case you two didn't realize it, we are on a moving plane. And I'd like to get back without being burnt to a crisp," he said, giving the extinguisher a hardy pat. HB growled a little under his breath.

"You better be glad you didn't release that thing, or either way you'd be the only one not to make it back," Hellboy threatened, slightly angry by the interruption, especially since it was from him. Liz took his hand in hers, trying to divert his attention, calm him. It worked. Feeling their fingers intertwine, he looked at her again, so much communicated through the silence between them.

Pulling the blanket securely around her, Liz proceeded to snuggle closer to Hellboy. He lifted his normal arm to put it around her shoulders, her head nuzzled against his neck. After a while he could sense her deep breathing, and knew she was asleep. Myers watched them from a distance, realizing what it had taken to finally pull the two together.

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THE END

Not really. These past few days have been pretty major for me in my writing. I've continued to write this story, but thought it best if I continued it with a sequel. So, part one ends here, but part two will continue soon enough. Thanks for all the love!


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